


Turn into oxygen and slip into your heart

by Helaain



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Justin and Chengcheng are themselves as usual, M/M, Pining, Xukun is an idol, Zhengting is his makeup artist, alternative universe, i'd want to say it's slow burn but this is too short to be one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 02:16:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14009988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helaain/pseuds/Helaain
Summary: He thinks he’s imagining how warm the room has gotten suddenly, or the relieved breath Xukun takes straight afterwards.He doesn’t want this moment to be over, he wants it to stay forever. Zhengting knows that it won’t. But, for the time being, he’ll pretend that it’s real, that they’re together, that they’re hopelessly in love and will stay forever.In which Zhengting is Cai Xukun's makeup artist for three weeks in Hainan, and wants to stay as his boyfriend for long after.





	Turn into oxygen and slip into your heart

**Author's Note:**

> hello peeps, it's ya boi  
> guess who's a quanzhe stan and yet is writing a fic about xukun and zhengting!!!!! this fucking bitsch that's who.
> 
> this is my first fic that i'm posting here, so please be kind :"^)

Blending is Zhengting’s favorite part of doing someone’s make up by far.

It requires concentration. It needs effort. But once it’s perfected, the eyeshadows blend in seamlessly, like a gradient, and the sense of accomplishment is addicting. A task that was once a pain in the ass to him is now almost therapeutic, without needing to think about anything else but just to _blend_.

It’s as if it was the calm before the storm; right before eyeliner.

See, lining your eyes require the utmost concentration, and a different kind of concentration from when you blend. A whole-new-level kind of concentration. Make a wrong swipe while blending? Cover it up queen, that smoky eye desperately needs the drama. Make a wrong swipe while lining your eyes? The makeup is ruined, you now have to start the eyeshadow all over again, and your paycheck is gone. Big difference, if you ask Zhengting.

Which is why Zhengting is massively regretting his decision to bring his younger brother along to his gig. Justin, his brother younger than him by 6 years, wanted to see what it is like at a studio, for ‘work experience purposes’. He isn’t lying, Zhengting knows that he wants to do modeling. That’s why he (reluctantly) let him tag along. The studio, Yuehua, is one that he is familiar with – it was his first gig ever, and has been countless times since then – and had gladly accepted Justin to come over.

Zhengting, though? He knew he should’ve predicted this. He’s currently lining one of the model, Fan Chengcheng’s, eyes, and would have taken only a minute to finish it, if not for Chengcheng and Justin’s constant blabbering. He had to stop multiple times because Chengcheng would start laughing, or would look back at Justin to make a snark remark, or _anything_ that was involved with Justin. It was now the fourth time Zhengting had to put his eyeliner down to wait for Chengcheng to stop cracking up at a stupid joke Justin just said. Zhengting doesn’t care. All he cares about is the eyeliner and the top of Chengcheng’s nose where the foundation he masterfully stippled is increasingly becoming rubbed off. He starts massaging his temple in frustration and then, once he lets out a sigh, opens his mouth to scold the two for messing around—

“Oh hey, Zhengting-ge, I forgot to ask. Do you have any important gigs after this photoshoot?”

Zhengting pauses at Chengcheng’s question. He closes his mouth and swallows down the scolding for later. “No, I don’t think so? Why?”

“My Jiejie was telling me about this show that one of her friends is producing. She vaguely mentioned that one of the makeup artists had to cancel last minute. I figured that maybe you wouldn’t mind another gig so I, uh, told her that you would do it.”

“Oh.” How considerate of him. “Yeah, thanks. What day is it? Next Week?”

Chengcheng makes an awkward face. “No, it’s going to be the next three weeks. I’m not sure about the hours, but it’s probably going to be an all-day thing.”

That makes Zhengting stop. “Next three weeks!? Non-stop? Oh my god, that is going to be the most exhausting ever. You think I’m gonna want to be stuck on a film set indoors for two whole weeks?” He shivers at the thought of it, the aircon ruining his skin and the closed off rooms making him feel sick with the lack of fresh air.

“What? No no, Zhengting-ge, you won’t be staying indoors. The whole of the filming is going to be in Hainan. You’ll be able to stay outdoors at the beach for most of it”

Zhengting raises his eyebrows. Now that changes everything. Aside from the possibility of getting sunburnt (which can be prevented easily with sunscreen), the job seems to be perfect. He basically gets paid to go on a vacation. “Hainan? Fine, I’ll go. I need to be somewhere other than polluted Beijing once in a while.” After a moment, he adds, “Who’s makeup am I going to do?”

“I….. don’t know?” Chengcheng says with an uneasy smile, which is unnerving, because he does that whenever he isn’t telling the truth. What is he hiding? Who is important enough to hide their identity from Zhengting, who needs to fix their face up for the next three weeks? He sees Justin with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face in the corner of his eyes, and Zhengting knows immediately that they’re in on this.

He sighs, knowing that he won’t be able to get any information out of them. He resumes lining Chengcheng’s eye, thinking that he is going to kill them both if he gets someone weird.

&&&

Zhengting now knows for a fact that he is going to kill Justin and Chengcheng.

Not because the guy is weird, no. Far from it. It’s because the guy he needs to do his makeup for is _Cai fucking Xukun_.

Xukun is a part of a rising idol group in China right now, and he’s on the show to promote the comeback that is going to be released next month.

That was what the producer told Zhengting. What he didn’t tell him was how good looking he was. Zhengting knew Xukun was good looking, obviously; he wasn’t blind, he’s seen the magazines. But the magazines did not do any justice to his face, and in real life he is _fucking gorgeous_. Zhengting’s (less than straight) heart skipped a beat when he met him for the first time to do his makeup. Xukun smiled at him with his perfect teeth and plump lips, then offered to shake his hand. _Even his hands are soft,_ Zhengting thought to himself, and quickly swore in his head for thinking like a damn school girl.

He’s now blending his foundation, while cursing Justin and Chengcheng for convincing him to take the job. The one downside (or upside) of being a makeup artist is that it’s very intimate. You’re in close proximity with the person, you’re up in their face; of course it’s intimate. Zhengting usually doesn’t mind; he’s used to it, and often it’s fun to talk to his clients. But for some people, specifically people who he’s attracted to, it’s almost…… embarrassing.

It doesn’t help that they haven’t spoken a single word since they introduced themselves. Zhengting notes that contrary to when he’s on set, Xukun is a quiet person, not talking much during the process. Which is fine, nothing wrong with it, except for the awkward silence that occurs. Maybe Zhengting is just overthinking it. It may be a comfortable silence, and he’s just interpreting it as an awkward one. Nonetheless, he itches to start a conversation; he’s not used to not talking with his clients, when most people are outgoing and (sometimes annoyingly) extroverted. Which is why he starts a conversation:

“So what exactly are you going to do on this show? I only heard something about beach games and nothing else.”

Xukun gives out a short laugh. God, he even laughs so prettily. “Yeah, something along those lines. Apparently I need to be able to play volleyball or something.”

“Well, gotta make use of the raging 6 pack you have for something, right?” Shit shit shit shit shit, was that too far? Zhengting is too used to joking (re: flirting) around with his clients that it just slipped out of his mouth.

Oblivious to Zhengting’s inner turmoil, Xukun just cocks an eyebrow and smirks. “I see that someone’s been reading some trashy teen magazines.”

 _Fuck_.

Zhengting really hopes that Xukun can’t see the blush that’s rising on his cheek. But Xukun’s smirk widens, and Zhengting knows that he’s truly fucked. So he tries his best to scowl at him and look annoyed. He thinks he’s failing.

(He totally does not think that he finds his smirk adorable, shut up.)

Zhengting prays for his paycheck because from how this is going, he isn’t sure if he can concentrate on doing Xukun’s makeup properly. He apologizes in advance to his fans for all of the messed up eyeliner that Xukun is going to have to wear.

If it was up to Zhengting, he would blame it all on Cai Xukun. It’s all his fault for being too damn attractive, honestly.

&&&

The next couple days are a bumpy road. Zhengting wishes that he could say otherwise.

After a call with Justin on the first night (“I’m going to kill you, Justin.” “You’re welcome Gege! Make sure to hide the boner in your pants!” “You’re going to fucking die.”), Zhengting felt a little more confident in controlling his emotions. Turns out he’s dead wrong.

In the mornings he does Xukun’s makeup, and embarrassingly takes more time than usual. During the many touch ups that are needed throughout the day, Zhengting finds himself looking at Xukun’s lips too many times for it to be an accident.

It also doesn’t help that they keep making eye-contact. Zhengting usually looks away immediately, not wanting to be distracted and do a terrible job of contouring. His dick tells him that it’s sexual tension; his brain tells him that he’s just a fucking mess. Zhengting tries his best to believe in his mind.

At least the flirting hasn’t happened since the first day. All they really do is some small talk, and the rest is just silence. Zhengting feels both relieved and disappointed. He wants to talk to him and get to know him – turns out Zhengting’s just a hopeless romantic – but he knows that it’s not professional, and maybe Cai Xukun isn’t even that interested. Zhengting isn’t even sure if he’s not straight; yeah, sure, he looks like a twink, but that doesn’t mean that he’s into guys. He doesn’t want to make unrequited advances on him and then make the rest of the filming awkward between the two of us. So Zhengting just keeps the conversation to just small talk and silence. It’s easier that way.

But you can never describe Cai Xukun as an easy one, and he always seems to find a way to make Zhengting’s heart difficult to deal with.

On Friday night, filming ends late. The director’s excuse is that they have a break the following day, so he wants to get as much done tonight. Zhengting is honest to god exhausted from waiting around for the crew to finish. When the director calls it a night and dismisses the staff, he sags his shoulders, the sigh of relief coming with it. He’s about to go back to the hotel he’s staying at when he feels someone tapping his shoulder. He jumps when he turns around and finds the culprit to be none other than Cai Xukun.

“Hey, Zhengting, do you want to get dinner with me?” Xukun asks. Zhengting isn’t sure if he heard that right.

“…..What?” he replies, and is annoyed by how dumb he sounds.

“I said, do you want to get dinner with me?” So he did hear it right.

He doesn’t get it though. “Why me?”

“I was going to eat with Ziyi but he cancelled last minute. I thought that I would ask you, since I’d say we’ve been acquainted with each other for a good amount of time.”

Oh. Great. So he was just his second choice. Zhengting quickly shakes the thought off his head. He’s not going to expect him to be Xukun’s first choice when he’s barely conversed with him. So he puts on his best smile and replies to him.

“Yeah, of course! We can go eat some street food if you want?” He hopes he doesn’t sound too eager.

Xukun readily agrees, and together they start walking alongside each other towards the central town. Once they get their food, they sit at a random table nearby.

“So, I’ve been wanting to ask you this. How long have you been doing makeup for?” Cai Xukun asks after two bites of his food.

Zhengting thinks for a moment. “Well, If you count the cheap concealers they sold at drugstores as makeup, then it’ll be since I was a freshman in high school? Which would mean…. 7 years.” He remembers when he first stole his mom’s makeup to put on before school; he can’t even count the amount of times he got scolded for it before he managed to man up enough to buy makeup at the drugstore. Though he doesn’t care anymore, buying makeup as an insecure teenage boy (who was still in the middle of the process of questioning his sexuality) was downright _nerve-wracking_. He thanks Gay Jesus for normalizing men wearing makeup.

Cai Xukun raises his eyebrows. “Wow, no wonder you’re good,” and then tilts his head in slight confusion. “Wait, you’re 21?”

“Yeah. You thought I was older?” Zhengting responds with an eyeroll, but he can’t quite hide the smile forming on his lips.

“Well – no, I didn’t mean to-  ugh. That wasn’t my point.” Xukun pouts his lip when he sees a chuckle escape Zhengting. Zhengting’s heart definitely did not skip a beat at that. “My point was that you’re good at what you do, and I’m glad that you’re doing my makeup.”

Zhengting will admit that his heart skipped a beat this time. Maybe even multiple beats (unless that means he has a heart attack. He’s not a medical professional). He feels the heat rise to his cheeks at the compliment that Xukun had surprisingly made. Before he can think too much of it, he responds. “Thanks, I didn’t expect you to say that to me.” He rubs the back of his neck, “I could say the same for your rap as well.”

“Thanks.” Xukun replies with an easy smile on his face.

“Seriously, I’ve listened to a couple of your songs. You must be really hard-working.”

Xukun’s smile slips from surprise, and his eyebrows are raised once again. Zhengting panics a little (a lot) that he maybe said the wrong thing. He opens his mouth to backtrack on what he said, when Xukun beats him to it.  

“I….. That makes me feel… Happy.” Now it was Zhengting’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “No one ever really thinks that I worked hard to get here. They always attribute it to my ‘natural talent’, or my face, or the company I’m in. I know I’m not the best rapper in the world. But I had to work to get to where I am, and I’m actually happy with what I was able to do.” Cai Xukun was now not making eye contact with Zhengting, instead focusing on stirring his food with his chopsticks.

Zhengting remembers a time, a few months back, at a photoshoot. He had been with Bi Wenjun, a friend and model of whom he was doing his makeup for that day. While waiting for the cameraman to get the lights ready, Wenjun idly read a magazine that was on the table. He stopped at an article of an idol group, the one Cai Xukun is in, and drew circles on the magazine paper with his fingers.

“Wow, this guy must be talented” he had said. “And he’s super handsome. No wonder he’s popular with the girls these days.”

Something about that didn’t sit right with Zhengting. Crediting all of someone’s success to talent was unfair; hard work outweighs talent any day, and Zhengting knew that the most.

“Sorry,” Xukun almost mumbles after a few moments without a reply from Zhengting. “It was kind of a dumb thing to say--”

“No it’s not.” Zhengting cuts him off mid-sentence, and Xukun finally looks up to meet his eye, worry evident in his own. "Hard work is what got you here. There this thing I tell myself when I’m struggling to come up with a new look; ‘The harder you work, the luckier you are’. Talent is nothing compared to hard work, Xukun, and judging from your songs, you’re a damn lucky guy.”

Something in Xukun’s eyes changes, but Zhengting can’t decipher what exactly it is. What he can tell, though, is the smile that blossoms on his face; it’s softer, gentler, and somehow more _genuine_ than the ones he usually gives. Zhengting feels something in his stomach, a feeling of butterflies, of a punch, of someone squeezing his insides out, and it simultaneously causes a throb in his heart. It’s different, in a way that he can’t explain, to the attraction he felt at the start.

“Thanks.” Xukun simply says, but his tone is shy, almost embarrassed, and Zhengting can’t handle it.

He thinks he starting to drown with affection towards this boy, and he’s nowhere near rock bottom.

&&&

From that night, something changes between the two.

They start getting dinner together every night after the shoot for the day ends, whether it’s at a restaurant nearby or takeout in their rooms. They talk about random things like their family, jobs, Zhengting’s time in Korea and Xukun’s in the US – it’s different, though, from the awkward small talk they did at the start. One night, Zhengting (unintentionally) scared the hell out of Xukun when he opened the door to the younger with a sheet mask on. After the initial scare, though, Xukun joined in and put a mask on himself as they chatted away about a new movie coming out. So Zhengting wants to think that they’re closer, more intimate. He likes to think that they’re friends.

Conversely to their relationship, Zhengting’s heart health is getting worse as they spend more time together. He’s getting that same feeling he felt on their first night out more frequently, the feeling of butterflies. Every time they make eye contact, every time their hands touch, every time Xukun laughs at Zhengting’s remarks, Zhengting feels the signature ache in his heart. He’s not a fool – he knows that he’s falling for Xukun, bit by bit somedays, all at once in others.

Zhengting hears a knock on the door, which brings him back to reality. He doesn’t even need to look at the peephole; he knows who it is. He and Cai Xukun decided on watching a movie while eating dinner that day – it was a movie that Xukun’s mentor/friend Yixing was in.

When Zhengting opened the door, Xukun held up the takeout and gave him a smile, and let himself in.

“Ready for some movie time?” Xukun asks.

“You bet your ass I am,” Zhengting replies, closing his door.

They sit down on the couch facing the tv and start eating. Three things happen during the time that they watch the movie:

1\. They finish their dinner quickly whilst watching the movie, then share a blanket between the two of them. It’s a classic romance drama in which Yixing, a famous singer, falls in love with a dancer through their love of dancing. It’s simple, it’s easy. Zhengting and Xukun lazily make comments on the two’s acting and the movie’s generic plot. Everything is fine, really, nothing bad but not much to compliment on. It’s during a particularly cliché plotline with some added cheap drama, though, when it happens.

2\. Xukun shifts a little closer to Zhengting and leans his head on his shoulder. Zhengting hopes to god that Xukun doesn’t notice how he freezes for a moment when his head touches Zhengting’s shoulders.

 _It’s just a lean on my shoulder. Nothing homo, Zhengting, it’s just platonic_ , he thinks to himself. He tries to focus on the movie and let it go. But he can’t. All he can think about is Xukun and his soft hair tickling Zhengting’s neck; the warmth that radiates from Xukun’s body to his, and the hint of cologne still left on him.

The movie and Yixing is long forgotten to Zhengting. He thinks his heart is beating at record speed, and his cheeks get warmer by the second. He thinks this through; Cai Xukun is comfortable enough around him to lean his head on his shoulders, which means that he at least is interested in him (though most probably platonically). If Zhengting is feeling confident about himself, then maybe, just maybe, he can reciprocate his (obviously non-platonic) feelings.

So he takes a deep breath disguised as a sigh, and leans his head on Xukun’s. He thinks he’s imagining how warm the room has gotten suddenly, or the relieved breath Xukun takes straight afterwards.

He doesn’t want this moment to be over, he wants it to stay forever. Zhengting knows that it won’t. But, for the time being, he’ll pretend that it’s real, that they’re together, that they’re hopelessly in love and will stay forever.

3\. He doesn’t realize that the movie is almost over until Xukun wakes him up from his half-asleep state.

“Hey,” he whispers, and nudges Zhengting’s side.

Zhengting, after being woken up, stretches his neck to his other side so that his neck won’t get cramped. When he’s finished, he looks back to look at Cai Xukun.

Coincidentally, Xukun looks up at Zhengting at the same moment. Their eyes meet, and suddenly Zhengting realizes how close they are. Like, really close. Being-able-to-see-each-other’s-eyelashes kind of close, and Zhengting’s heart starts racing for the second time that night. Time seems to slow down at that moment, the audio of the movie and their breaths going slower as if they were in a film.

 _He’s beautiful_ , Zhengting thinks. Saying that Cai Xukun is beautiful is like saying that the water is wet. It’s a fact, a statement, a truth. Since the very first day that Zhengting met him, it is something that he has kept a note of in his mind – Xukun is beautiful, smart, hardworking; all of the above.

Zhengting finds himself catching his own breath and looking down at Xukun’s lips. It’s plump and soft – the makeup artist in him wants to ask what lip balm he uses – and Zhengting can’t count the amount of times he thinks about kissing it with his own. There isn’t a chance better than this, he thinks; if Zhengting wants to kiss Xukun, then it should be now. And he wants to – so badly at that.

A part of him wants to think that Xukun feels the same way too. He wants to think that the look he gives to Zhengting is for someone special, that the amount of time they spend together is unusually long. Zhengting’s hopeful side wishes that he could interpret the shoulder lean, the smile, the laugh, as something romantic, something for only Zhengting to see.

But the rational part of him, the coward, is scared. Scared of ruining their relationship, scared of ruining their _futures_. Cai Xukun is an idol, after all. He doesn’t want a stupid scandal ruining his chance to grow, to rise to his full potential; all the hard work wasted, because of Zhengting. It’s not uncommon for someone in Zhengting’s field to be out and open. But Xukun? Entertainment is a tough industry, grinding artists like one use items. However successful Xukun’s group may be, they’re still a rookie, and one mistake can mean their chances at awards and mainstream normality gets reduced to nil.

So Zhengting doesn’t go for it; doesn’t lean it. Instead he turns away from Xukun quickly and focuses on the movie. He can see in his peripheral vision that Xukun is still looking up at him for a beat, then a second, then a third. He finally sets his head back down on Zhengting’s shoulder after that, and Zhengting can breathe again, letting out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding.

He tells himself that his decision was for the best – it’s easier, simpler for the both of them and their futures.

Yet somehow, his heart tells him otherwise, and just aches, aches, aches.

 Zhengting wishes it could stop.

&&&

The few days that pass by is a blur – and a weird one, at that.

Zhengting catches himself staring at Xukun, but that’s nothing new or weird. If anyone asks, his excuse is that he needs to be aware of when he’ll need to touch his face up.

What is weird, though, is that Xukun starts reciprocating the stares as well. It’s one thing if he just notices Zhengting staring at him. It’s another thing when Zhengting feels a pair of eyes boring through his back and turns around to find Cai Xukun staring at him. Though unlike whenever he catches Zhengting staring at him, Xukun doesn’t look away; instead, he stares, giving Zhengting looks that he doesn’t exactly know what to interpret as – he wishes it could be lust.

Another time, during a particular hot day, Zhengting wears a loose-fitting t-shirt with a pair of short pants. Even with the portable fan he brought for this very moment, he still sweats way too much for his own comfort. He ends up wiping the sweat on his forehead with the hem of his shirt. When he releases his shirt and looks up, he sees Cai Xukun staring at – nay, burning his eyes into – Zhengting’s stomach area whilst biting his lip, enough to make Zhengting blush a little bit. This happens a couple more times, like a game of hide and seek; so much so that Qin Fen, the set designer Zhengting befriended during the show, intervenes.    

“You two need to get a room and stop eye-fucking. It’s making me uncomfortable just looking at either of you,” he says, exasperation evident in his voice.

“Fuck off,” Zhengting replies with a sigh, but with enough fondness to let the older know that he’s not meaning to be rude.

The comment gives him a sense of giddiness and fear; giddiness because who doesn’t want Cai Xukun lusting over their abs? But the fear comes from the fact that it was Qin Fen that noticed, not Zhengting himself. If someone else was able to notice the tension between the two, who knows what’ll happen if they become a thing? Granted, Qin Fen was quite a perceptive person, but it made Zhengting scared nonetheless.

So, awkwardness washes over him on the last morning of filming, as he heads to the dressing room. It’s the last day, which means after today, no more being together 24/7 with Xukun, no more nights eating dinner after a tiring day. Zhengting hopes that they’ll keep in touch.

He finds Xukun already in the room, leaning against one of the vanities in the dressing rooms on the last morning of filming. Again, while Zhengting is setting up the makeup on another vanity, he feels Xukun staring at his neck – the staring contest has become the usual now. When he finishes, he looks back at Xukun, expecting him to still be staring. He finds him looking at the floor.

“Morning,” he says. “Ready for your look?” He attempts a smile, but it probably looks more like a grimace.

Cai Xukun looks up; his expression is unreadable. “Today’s our last day,” he states simply.

“…Yes.” Zhengting answers. He doesn’t know where this is going.

“What’s my last look going to look like?”

“O-oh?” This is the first time he’s ever asked this. Zhengting really doesn’t know what’s happening. “I was thinking of just making it a natural look, maybe even a little boy next door kinda vibe-”

His rambling is stopped by a sigh from Xukun. “Sorry, wrong question,” he continues. “I guess this is a better fit; what I wanted to ask you for a while now, actually.”

“Which is?” Zhengting asks, suddenly nervous.

Xukun pulls Zhengting’s collar on his shirt, closer, closer, closer, until they’re only inches apart. “Are you going to kiss me or not?”

Zhengting visibly freezes, his head working like the gears in a clock. He calculates – the looks, the smile, the laugh. The feeling Xukun felt towards him. Zhengting realizes that he was oblivious to the obvious. When he looks into Xukun’s eyes once more, he sees it – the affection, the lust, all aimed towards Zhengting, and it was all too familiar to him; because it’s the look that he saw himself have when he looked at himself in the mirror after doing Xukun’s makeup.

The hopeful part of him, the one who is happy that Xukun is reciprocating his feelings, overpowers the coward in him. _He likes me_ , he thinks, and the feeling, the euphoria, is what makes him lean down slightly to kiss Xukun’s lips with his own.

Their first kiss is short, chaste, sweet. When he pulls back, he feels lightheaded. He feels unsure, whether he should stop there. All thoughts, however, disappear, when he opens his eyes and sees Xukun brushing his fingers along the lips where Zhengting’s had just been, a blush forming on his cheeks. Zhengting’s only thoughts after that, were _more_. He takes Xukun’s hands away from his lips and leans in for a second.

When Zhengting starts moving his lips, Xukun closes his eyes, sighing contently as he follows his movements. Their lips slot together perfectly, motion syncing together. Zhengting parts his lips slightly, and Xukun immediately swipes his tongue against his teeth. Zhengting can taste the mint from the toothpaste they were both provided in by the hotel. Zhengting groans into his mouth.

Their second kiss is wet. It’s messy. And yet Zhengting wants _more_. He can’t stop, he’s getting addicted to Xukun’s soft lips against his.

 _God, it’s so soft_ , he thinks. He feels warm. Xukun’s hand is in his hair, and Zhengting places his own hand against Xukun’s cheek.

Yeah, feeling warm is an understatement – Zhengting feels like he’s burning.

Xukun tilts his head, and the kiss deepens even further. He lets out a noise, something between a moan and a whine, that makes Zhengting shiver.

It was at that moment that Zhengting realizes: They’re in a dressing room. Xukun still has to be filmed during the day, and if comes to the set late with swollen lips, the producer will not be happy at all.

So he reluctantly pulls away. Looking at Xukun immediately after that was the biggest mistake in Zhengting’s life; panting with slightly swollen (yet not enough to get an ass-whooping from the pd), saliva covered lips makes him look absolutely _ethereal_. Zhengting leans close enough to Xukun that their foreheads are touching.

“You don’t want to be late for your filming,” he sighs. “Come on, let’s get you fixed up.”

Xukun nods and heads to the vanity. Once he’s seated, he turns to look at Zhengting with a smirk on his face. “I’m glad that you’ve finally decided to act on your feelings that you’ve had for three whole weeks.”

Zhengting’s eyes widen almost comically. “What!? What are you talking about?” He squeaks.

“I’m saying that you were being a pussy for not pursuing what you want.”

“I didn’t want to ruin your future by being in a relationship with me!” Zhengting gawks, a hint of his scolding tone he uses for Justin and Chengcheng in his voice.

“Well, you should know that I’m smarter than you think. You can’t choose or limit my paths just because you think it’ll hurt me. I can make my own decisions, and I know for sure that it’s a dumb idea to not have you in my life,” Xukun confesses, and grabs Zhengting’s neck to pull him in to another chaste kiss.

Zhengting thought his cheeks could never get this warm – turns out he’s wrong with a lot of things when it comes to Cai Xukun. And yet he’ll never change it for a thing.

&&&

“Gege, have you heard the new single Yanchen and Xiaogui released?”

“Of course I have, you think I wouldn’t support my friends?”

“I mean, you never know…”

It’s been a few weeks since the trip to Hainan, and Zhengting is back to his usual grind. He’s with Justin and Chengcheng again at Yuehua for another photoshoot, this time for a new clothing line that’s being released. Justin was offered a job as a model soon after Zhengting came back, which means more time that he’ll have to spend with him. At least he finally got a job.

Zhengting was lining Chengcheng’s eyes again – once Justin became an actual model, he quickly realized the importance of being silent and still while getting his eyes lined, which is why Zhengting expected the process to end quickly and smoothly. He gets distracted though, from his phone that rings loudly. He curses as he puts the liner down to see who it is.

 _Xukun_ , it reads. He tries to maintain the frown that was on his face and fails, the corner of his mouth betraying him by turning upwards.

“Hey,” he says, wincing slightly at the amount of fondness that comes out in his voice.

“Eurgh. I guess that’s our cue to take a break, Cheng-ge.” Justin says, motioning Chengcheng to go out of the room. Zhengting glares at their backs.

“ _Hey. A certain someone told me that you were free this evening?_ ” Xukun asked, his voice relaxed through the phone.

“That ‘certain someone’ was me, this morning, but yeah. I’m free tonight,” Zhengting says, a small smile on his face.

“ _Ziyi’s starring in another tv show. Wanna watch together? I’ll bring some food over, just like a few weeks ago._ ”

Zhengting’s smile widens, now showing his teeth. A few weeks ago, Zhengting had been a nervous wreck, overthinking every single thing Xukun said or did – Now, it was the usual. Cai Xukun had become routine to him, a necessity, like oxygen.

Zhengting had fallen for the boy who slipped into his heart. Now he thinks he’s falling a little bit in love.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!  
> title: 爱你 from Idol Producer


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